Monthly Archives: July 2017

The Cuban president has condemned the attempts to destabilize Venezuela.

Source: Cuba Inside the World
July 15 2017

President Raul Castro has repeated Cuba’s support for the Venezuelan government as it faces “an unconventional war” led by “imperialism” and the country’s “oligarchy” in a bid to topple President Nicolas Maduro with a coup.

During a speech marking the end of the Cuban Congress’s extraordinary session, Castro condemned the opposition violence initiated in April on the streets of Caracas and other cities as “fascists actions.”

He mentioned the videos showing several young Venezuelans being burnt alive during anti-Maduro protests.

He urged the opposition to stop the “terrorist violence” designed “to oust” the president, and called for Maduro’s opponents to accept the Bolivarian government’s offer of dialogue.

Stop attacking Venezuela

Castro also asked the Organization of American States and its Secretary General Luis Almagro to “stop attacking Venezuela” and “manipulating reality.”

“Venezuela’s legitimate right to find a peaceful solution to its domestic affairs should be respected with no foreign interference,” he said, adding that only the sovereign Venezuelan people are entitled to use the right to self-determination.

Cuba’s President also condemned the “political persecution” of Brazil’s former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, recently condemned to a 9-year prison sentence over bribeery and money-laundering charges.

In recent weeks, the actions of extremists linked to the self-styled MUD have been marked by vandalism

Caracas.- Recent months have shown that demonstrations by opposition groups in Venezuela are far from peaceful, despite their organizers claiming the opposite.

In recent weeks, the actions unleashed by extremists linked to the self-styled Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), have been marked by vandalism, as seen on Friday, June 23, when they burned vehicles near an air base located in Miranda state.

Three articulated trucks for transporting food, and a Bolivarian National Police (PNB) vehicle were set on fire in the vicinity of the Generalísimo Francisco de Miranda air base, known as La Carlota.

Violent groups

These violent groups have maintained a siege on this military installation for several days, and according to testimony broadcast by the Zurda Konducta program on Venezolana de Televisión, two drivers of these vehicles confirmed that the instigators wielded firearms.

Emiliano Pulido, one of the drivers, explained, “They grabbed my son and me and stopped us with pistols in hand. I was kidnapped by three hooded people; I was brought down from the truck by a blow and at gunpoint. They had 9mm pistols, and if I’m not mistaken, they had rifles.”

According to official figures, since April the violence instigated by extreme sectors of the opposition has left more than 70 people dead, over 1,400 injured, and cost millions in damages to public and private property.

Social media showed groups of violent demonstrators

Evidence shared on social media indicates that there are no peaceful opposition demonstrations taking place. On Thursday, June 22, as on previous days, photos and videos posted showed groups of violent demonstrators in different parts of the country carrying out actions such as those at La Carlota.

In this regard, Minister for Internal Relations, Justice and Peace, Néstor Reverol, tweeted that the siege of La Carlota is recurrent; in total no less than ten attacks have been carried out by these violent groups against the military base.

Despite the nature of these protests and the damages caused to military installations, Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) authorities have ruled out the use of arms to repel the attack, in response to orders from the government, to avoid even greater destruction.

Plan Zamora

The attitude of the military contrasts with the actions of these groups, who use homemade explosives, stones, bottles, gunshots, Molotov cocktails and other devices to wreak havoc.

Meanwhile, the La Carlota air base is not the only military facility to have been attacked. In the state of Táchira, it was necessary to deploy the Plan Zamora, a strategic and operational plan activated for the security and defense of the nation in case of threats to internal order.

This decision was made after violent elements burned the Vásquez artillery group of the Bolivarian Army, based in the city of San Cristóbal, whose command headquarters was besieged by 80 to 100 people.

President Maduro reiterated his rejection of violence

“The attack was directed to where the gas cylinders are. Can you imagine what a Molotov could do to a gas cylinder, where there is ammunition, explosives, weapons, right in the center of the city?” stated Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López in condemning the attacks.

Likewise, on June 12, the Paramacay Fort was attacked, home to the Army’s 41st Armored Brigade, located in the La Granja sector of the municipality of Naguanagua, Carabobo state. A total of 30 people were arrested and several were injured, including four state security officials.

Despite this hostile atmosphere, and continued calls for violence, President Nicolás Maduro has reiterated his rejection of the violence promoted by certain extremist sectors of the opposition, and the commitment of the Bolivarian Government and the FANB to work to consolidate peace. (PL)

The United Socialist Party of Venezuela, PSUV, is carrying out checks on some of the electoral machinery ahead of the ballot at the end of the month.

One of the review activities has been taking place in Valencia, Carabobo state.

Thousands of PSUV supporters gathered in the city’s bullring, along with the party’s Vice President Diosdado Cabello and Héctor Rodríguez, Commander of the Zamora Constituent Campaign 200.

Ensuring that the people exercise their democratic right to vote

During his speech to the crowd, Cabello called for the full weight of the law to be imposed on “those who walk burning people” in reference to the victims of violence during the recent opposition protests.

He also told the crowd that abstentionism would be avoided “by ensuring that the people exercise their democratic right to vote despite any adverse situation or sabotage of the right to be present.”

The National Electoral Council, CNE, is overseeing preparations for the election which is being held on July 30.

The body will also provide instruction on voting protocol and test election technology at 496 polling stations before of the official poll.

“We will not allow any violent radicalism to hurt the opportunity to express ourselves as the peaceful and democratic people we are,” Tibisay Lucena, head of the CNE said.

The call for a National Constituent Assembly was made by President Nicolas Maduro on May 1 to help ease ongoing tensions with the right-wing opposition.

The body that will rewrite the country’s 1999 Constitution

The body that will rewrite the country’s 1999 Constitution will be made up of 545 members, with 364 representing regions and another 181 representing various social sectors — workers, farmers, people with disabilities, students, retirees, the business sector, communes and communal councils.

They will draft a new constitutional text which will be put to a popular vote in Venezuela.

Opposition leaders are calling for people to vote in their own plebiscite on Sunday, which the CNE regards as illegitimate and non-binding.

Julio Borges, president of the National Assembly, which is currently in contempt of the law, called for the July 16 ballot to consult Venezuelans on three questions: whether they want a constituent assembly or not; whether they want the Armed Forces to support the existing constitution and the decisions of the National Assembly; and whether they want immediate general elections.

Other opposition leaders have described the unconstitutional plebiscite as an opportunity to prepare the ground for blockading the country.